Throughout the growing season, most superintendents apply sand topdressing to their greens to smooth the surfaces while diluting organic matter accumulation. The goal is to apply a uniform, light dusting of sand that falls into the turf canopy without mechanical incorporation. When sand is exposed to rain the particles will stick together, causing the sand to not spread evenly and stay in clumps on the putting surfaces. When this happens, sand needs to be dragged with a brush or mat, which can bruise turf. Sand that isn’t worked fully into the turf canopy will be harvested by mowers, dulling reels and bedknives and driving your equipment manager crazy.
Dry sand is also important during aeration. Wet sand bridges over the aeration holes instead of filling them fully. Wet, smeared sand on the surface can also smother turf and lead to injury or worse. When topdressing bridges over the aeration holes, it gives the illusion that they have been filled. After an irrigation cycle or rain event, the bridged sand falls to the bottom of the holes and suddenly you see the gaps. When aeration holes are not completely filled, organic matter dilution is reduced and recovery can be extended.
The benefits of using dry sand are clear, but having it available when needed may not be that easy. You can purchase kiln-dried bagged sand or bulk sand. Bagged sand is great for certain processes, but it’s cumbersome to handle and prohibitively expensive for aeration purposes. Bulk sand is less expensive but can lead to waste when it’s dumped on the ground and will absorb moisture even under plastic covers if left exposed to the elements. Sand and delivery cost is not an insignificant expense, so having covered sand storage bins will give a return on investment by reducing waste and keeping sand dry.
Storage with a solid floor and sealed walls is ideal. Properly engineered concrete floors that can endure tri-axle truck deliveries and loader buckets should be a priority. Covering the storage bins will further protect the materials from contamination and keep them dry. The roof should be tall enough so delivery trucks can back in and unload without any material handling by the maintenance team. Having dry sand on hand will facilitate light and frequent sand topdressing applications and better incorporation into aeration holes. Material savings, more-efficient maintenance and less impact on playability from topdressing and aeration are all great selling points for an upgraded sand storage area.
Northeast Region Agronomists:
Darin Bevard, senior director, Championship Agronomy – dbevard@usga.org
Elliott L. Dowling, regional director, East Region – edowling@usga.org
Brian Gietka, agronomist – bgietka@usga.org
Information on the USGA’s Course Consulting Service
Contact the Green Section Staff